Police tackled the suspect to the ground outside a medical clinic.

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A woman fought off a sexual assault by biting off part of her attacker’s tongue on Thursday night, police said, and a suspect is hospitalized, under watch of local police.

The attempted attack happened in the alley off Atlantic Avenue near a Roman Catholic church in Stamford around 10 p.m. on Thursday night, the Stamford Advocate reports. The woman fought back by biting the man.

“It was a substantial piece of his tongue," Sgt. Paul Guzda told the Advocate.

By "substantial amount," he was referring to about an inch of the man's tongue, which police recovered it at the scene.

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Police took a suspect into custody after a foot chase on Friday morning. The man sought treatment at a clinic on Bedford Street, police said. The man ran, but officers chased him, caught him and tackled him to the ground.

The man is being treated at Stamford Hospital. He has not been charged, but charges are expected after the man is treated and results of a psychological test are available.